Saudi Arabia has issued a firm warning to all Umrah pilgrims currently in the Kingdom: leave by April 29 or face serious legal consequences, including fines, imprisonment, and deportation.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah confirmed that April 29 marks the final departure deadline for all pilgrims who entered the country on Umrah visas. Staying beyond this date will be treated as a legal violation.
According to Gulf News, the announcement comes as part of broader preparations for this year’s Hajj season, with authorities expressing concern over increasing cases of visitors attempting to overstay their visas.
“Security is a red line,” said Lieutenant General Mohammed Abdullah Al Bassami, Director of Public Security. “The systems in place are designed to protect the safety and dignity of the guests of God and to ensure the efficiency of crowd management plans in collaboration with security, military, and service agencies.”
Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in artificial intelligence and smart infrastructure to manage the flow of millions of pilgrims across Mecca and other holy sites. Real-time crowd monitoring systems are in place to prevent bottlenecks and ensure safety at critical locations like the Grand Mosque.
Officials warned that violations such as overstaying or breaching national quotas can severely disrupt this tightly coordinated ecosystem. “Every effort is centred on the human being — the pilgrim,” said Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Adel Zamzami, a leading security expert. “When individuals violate the rules, they threaten the precision and safety of a deeply interconnected system.”
The Ministry of Interior has already launched nationwide field campaigns to catch violators. Between March 27 and April 2, authorities detained more than 18,400 individuals for breaking residency, labour, or border laws. Of these, nearly 13,000 were found to be violating residency regulations, while over 3,500 were caught attempting illegal border crossings.
According to legal advisor Ahmad Al Maliki, first-time visa overstayers face a fine of SAR 15,000 (approx. $4,000) and immediate deportation. Repeat offenders face harsher penalties, including up to six months in prison and fines as high as SAR 50,000.
Those found harbouring, employing, or transporting violators could be fined up to SAR 100,000, face imprisonment, and have any vehicles used in the offense seized. Foreign accomplices risk deportation.
Pilgrimage service companies are also under scrutiny. Failing to report delayed departures can result in escalating fines starting at SAR 25,000 and reaching SAR 100,000 for repeated violations.
Lt. Gen. Al Bassami concluded that ensuring the safety and sanctity of the holy sites is a “sacred responsibility” and warned that any breaches of the pilgrimage system will be met with firm action.
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